Medical Library Association | Resources : Health Information Literacy

Health Information Literacy

MLA Health Information Literacy Research Project

Call for Hospital-based Library Pilot Training Sites

The Medical Library Association (MLA), under contract and working with the National Institutes of Health/National Library of Medicine (NLM), is looking for eight hospital-based libraries to pilot a new Health Information Literacy (HIL) Curriculum designed to increase health care provider knowledge of health information literacy issues, increase patient and provider use of NLM and other consumer resources, and promote the role of librarians as key providers of health information literacy resources and support.

To become a pilot site, your hospital-based library can be of any size and type, and serve any geographic area. Interested libraries must submit a Pilot Training Site Application Form [ 62KB] and letter of commitment from their hospital administration documenting organizational commitment to long-term delivery of consumer health information services via email by January 7, 2008 to Sabrina Kurtz-Rossi, Project Coordinator. All applicants will be notified of their selection status by January 30, 2008. If you have any questions about this call for pilot training sites, please contact Ms. Kurtz-Rossi via email. See the Pilot Training Site Selection Criteria [ 71KB] for a description of the selection criteria, training site expectations, and the support that training sites will receive from the project. For more information about the full project, visit <http://www.mlanet.org/resources/healthlit/hil_project.html>

Hospital-based librarians are in a unique position to help health care providers and their institutions meet the health information literacy needs of patients and consumers [1]. According to the Institute of Medicine nearly half the adult population in the U.S. has difficulty accessing, understanding, and using health information [2]. To address this problem the Joint Commission calls for hospitals to raise awareness throughout their institutions about the impact low health literacy and limited English proficiency have on patient safety and to train health care providers to respond appropriately to patients with literacy and language needs [3]. Participation in the Health Information Literacy Research Project will support hospital-based libraries/librarians to plan and implement consumer health information services that will strengthen their institution’s capacity to address health information literacy barriers to quality patient care.

Jean P. Shipman, AHIP, MLA Immediate Past-President
Director, Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences and Associate University Librarian, VCU Libraries, Virginia Commonwealth University

Carla J. Funk, CAE, Executive Director
Medical Library Association

Sabrina Kurtz-Rossi, MEd., Project Coordinator
Health Information Literacy Research Project
Medical Library Association

References

Medical Library Association (2003). Definition of Health Information Literacy. Chicago, IL. www.mlanet.org/resources/healthlit/define.html.

Institute of Medicine (2004). Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. www.iom.edu/CMS/3775/3827/19723.aspx

The Joint Commission (2007). What did the Doctor Say?: Improving Health Literacy to Protect Patient Safety. Oakbrook, IL: The Joint Commission. www.jointcommission.org/PublicPolicy/health_literacy.htm

Pilot Training Site Application Form [ 62KB]
Pilot Training Site Selection Criteria [ 71KB]

Please direct all questions about the pilot to Sabrina Kurtz-Rossi.